South Korea: LGBT Group Releases Guidebook for HIV

An LGBT group including adolescent members has released a guidebook on HIV and AIDS as the number of teenagers suffering from the condition continues to rise. The guidebook ‘Key to 20 Answers’ published by South Korean LGBT group DDingDong outlines 20 major questions concerning both HIV and AIDS and answers them in detail, the group said on Sunday.

The release comes as the number of teenage AIDs patients nearly quadrupled between 2007 and 2016 in South Korea, from 99 to 417, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention KCDC). However, experts warn the actual figure is much higher as many patients hide their infection.

The product of a collaboration of 32 teenage members of the LGBT community and medical experts, the book talks about causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment of HIV and AIDS in terms understandable to teenagers.

“Everyone can contract HIV through unsafe sex. Emphasis on virginity instead of teaching safe sex is restricting access to information, and putting more people at risk for HIV as a result,” the book says. Read more via Korea Biz

Check out the organization DDingDong